1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a disc brake for a vehicle, equipped with a wedge member to press a friction pad toward a disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A disc brake is an apparatus pressing an outer surface of a disc rotating along with wheels, by a friction pad, to thereby generate a braking force. Some disc brakes utilize a sliding wedge member having an inclined surface to press the friction pad toward the disc. That is, as the wedge member is slid along the inclined surface by the operation of a driving unit, the wedge member presses the friction pad toward the disc.
The driving unit operating the wedge member includes a driving motor, a screw axis connected to a rotational shaft of the driving motor, and a pressing member connected to the screw axis to be moved back and forth according to the operation of the driving motor and thereby press the wedge member toward the disc.
The above-structured disc brake operates in the following manner. As the driving motor operates, the pressing member presses the wedge member toward the disc, thereby bringing the friction pad into contact with the disc. Simultaneously, the wedge member is slid along the inclined surface, thereby further pressing the friction pad toward the disc. As a result, the braking operation is achieved.
In the above-described disc brake, however, the driving motor to press the pressing member is extended in a direction of the back and forth movement of the pressing member, that is, in a direction for the friction pad to press the disc. Therefore, the volume of the disc brake is increased, especially in one direction. Accordingly, installation of the disc brake becomes complicated.